THE GIRL ON THE STAIRS
by Ballyuk
Summary: Whenever he sees her standing on the stairs, it is always memorable. Borrows heavily from 4x18 (Spirit), 8x10 (Bride) and 10x15 (Fortune), then segues beyond the future depicted in the Finale.
1. Put on your tux

Author's Notes: I do not own the characters. From glancing through several other fics, it appears that certain names are used for certain characters so I'm sticking with the tried and tested. I've also added a bonus chapter to try and convey a couple of other (important) viewpoints. I hope readers understand what I was trying to do here, and I am 100% certain that the events described will be familiar to many of you in your own lives. I won't say any more, you'll just have to read! Finally, please please please leave comments. I'm very grateful that people are taking time to read my work, but what you guys think is important to me!

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 **THE GIRL ON THE STAIRS.**

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 **"Put on your tux."**

Clark wasn't given a moment to think. It had all happened so quickly that before he knew it, he was being ushered off to his room to get changed into the tux his mom had hired for him.

Was it worth even showing up to his senior prom when it was never going to live up to his expectations? For years, Clark had held onto the fairytale dream of escorting Lana Lang to the prom but the dream had faded away once realisation set in that it would become increasingly unlikely over their senior year, so he could only foresee an evening of disappointment. Lana had a new beau, Jason Teague, whom she'd met over the summer in Paris, so it didn't seem right to Clark to ask her to be his date. Too much history, too much baggage, and too much awkward tension. He concluded that it was better all round to give the event a miss.

So how was it that he was still going to the prom? And with a date no less. The answer lay with the girl on the stairs. Loud, opinionated, smug, prone to getting into trouble - Lois Lane was the dictionary definition of 'pain in the ass'. Indeed, if dictionaries still included pictures next to words and phrases, the phrase 'pain in the ass' would have a photo of Lois beside it, looking smug. Right now, she was standing at the top of the stairs, smiling.

"Well?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear as he cast his eyes over her. "How do I look?"

How _did_ she look? The shimmering pink strapless gown fit her hourglass form perfectly, finished off with silver sequins at the top, matching earrings and a clutch bag. She was also holding a plastic box containing a corsage, to be pinned onto her dress no doubt. Her hair had been straightened and set in a very elegant manner, showing off her slender neck to its fullest. The outfit had clearly been chosen to turn heads. Did Lois already have this outfit lying around or had she gone out and bought it? It was clear she'd spent an afternoon getting her hair and make-up done too. So how _did_ she look?

Clark gulped. _Amazing actually, no doubt about it_. This was a strange turn up for the books. There was no hint of the tomboyish army brat at all, and he'd had to blink to make sure it really was Lois standing there, and not just a _very_ pretty girl with the same voice. The only event on in Smallville this evening which required people to dress up was the senior prom. She couldn't be going to that, could she? And if so, why?

"L-looks like you're going to the prom," he stammered, mouth suddenly dry.

He watched her as she made her way down the stairs. She seemed curiously chipper. Pointing a finger at him for emphasis, she clarified the situation. "I am! And _you're_ taking me."

He couldn't find any words. Lois actually _wanted_ him to take her to his own senior prom. How in the hell was that even possible? She proceeded to explain.

"I'm not gonna let you sit around moping all night while your parents go out and do the electric boogaloo all night." Raising her chin to emphasise her adamance, she added, "It's gonna be fun."

Clark shook his head, trying to convince himself as much as anything that he'd rather stay put and sit at home. And what exactly was the 'electric boogaloo'? He felt his throat getting drier and the words came out far less convincingly than he'd hoped. "No, I-I-I'm not going."

Lois was not going to take no for an answer. Eyes widening and voice becoming high-pitched, she replied in terms that left no room for doubt. It was an order not a request.

"Massive re-strategy! You're going to your senior prom whether you like it or not. End of discussion. Put on your tux."

Clark stared at her, slightly fearful. Something was clearly off about her if she wanted to go out with him, as though her mind and body had been taken over by some hyperactive cheerleading prom queen wannabe. Had she found a stash of that kryptonite-laced energy drink from a few months back? It wasn't that long ago when she'd told his mom how it would require something of enormous magnitude and yet highly unlikely before she would ever consider going anywhere with him. _Thanks for making me sound like the shortest of short straws, Lois!_ Clark made a mental note to check the news to see if NASA had actually managed to send a team of astronauts to Mars. Even with his interest in astronomy, he couldn't recall NASA ever announcing a manned space mission to Mars. Maybe the Russians had beaten the Americans to the punch. He decided to ask Lois why she'd apparently taken a giant u-turn all of a sudden.

"Lois, wasn't this _not_ in the realm of possibilities?"

"Anything's possible, Clark. _Anything!_ "

His eyebrows shot up to the top of his head. His level of fear increased exponentially as he saw her eyes shimmer with hunger, and the Cheshire Cat grin that slowly stretched across her face only confirmed his suspicions. Something was not right. What did she mean by 'anything'? Did it also mean _that_? Lois was somewhat of a wild child with a penchant for disobeying authority so it wasn't a stretch to think she might wish to indulge in a little hedonism from time to time. Was she thinking of grabbing her opportunity tonight? Was she going to get Clark Kent laid?

Lois then proceeded to grab him by the arm and march him up the stairs to his room, where his tux was hanging behind the door. He was too stunned to utter a word in protest.

"Now, we wanna be fashionably late so all eyes are on us when we arrive, but we don't wanna be so late that they announce the prom queen before we get there. So come on, chop chop!" she ordered as she shoved him into his room.

Clark closed the door and looked at his tux, hanging there in its plastic sleeve. This was actually happening. He was so dumbfounded by the turn of events that he didn't hear Lois on the other side of the door, sighing and uttering "Genius!" as she congratulated herself on the first part of her mission being accomplished.

The girl on the stairs both fascinated and frightened him, but more than anything, she'd thrown him for a loop. Tonight was going to be interesting to say the very least, and he hoped it wouldn't turn into a complete disaster. After all, one's senior prom really is a once-in-a-lifetime event.


	2. Looks like you're ready

" **Looks like you're ready."**

The guests had begun to arrive and were making their way to the barn. The minister and his aides had already prepared their set-up for the ceremony, and everything had run like clockwork thanks to the military precision demanded by the daughter of a 3-star General. Jimmy was talking to various guests as he waited for his bride - who was safely hidden from view in the loft - to finally walk down the aisle. He could only envision a glorious and happy future with the love of his life.

Clark had the honour of giving said bride away, a role he took seriously. Chloe was his best friend and had sacrificed so much of her own life to ensure his secret remained guarded. She would never reveal it even when her own life was in danger. They had been through so much together and still come out strong the other side. Giving Chloe away was to be a moment he would honour and cherish. She deserved to have a life free from the burden of revolving around him and his secret, so giving her away on her wedding day was symbolic in more ways than one.

Clark had already been through his suit and tux choices with Jimmy so that Jimmy's contact at the suit hire company could have it dry-cleaned and ready for the occasion. In reality, once it transpired that he would be representing Chloe's side of the family, a suit was the only choice, with the groomsmen and Jimmy all wearing tuxes. He had opted for a crisp white shirt and a silver-grey tie to go with the black 2-piece suit. His shoes had been polished to a mirrored shine. Adjusting his tie in a small vanity mirror in the front room, there was just one part he would need help with.

Having never worn cufflinks before, he didn't know how to put them on. He wanted to wear them as they matched his tie, and also because they'd belonged to his father. Neither Chloe's nor Jimmy's parents had been able to make it for numerous reasons, nor had Chloe's Uncle Sam. Clark's father was no longer here, so Clark felt that the cufflinks at least gave a token nod to the presence of a father on such an auspicious occasion. He would make mention of this during his speech.

Neither he nor Lois had a plus one for the day but he thought that since they'd largely been in charge of organising the event (he the facilities, she the management), they'd be spending a lot of time in one another's company anyway. Not that he minded at all. He'd been getting along really well with her ever since they'd started working together. Their friendship was hard to categorise, being one step above mere friends or work partners but below anything that could be labelled a romantic attachment. Speaking of Lois, he could hear her coming down the stairs. He had no idea what choice of outfit Chloe had selected for her cousin and maid-of-honour, just that Chloe thought Lois looking amazing in it when they'd gone to their fitting. At the sound of her voice - a little weary yet insistent - he stepped out into the hall.

"Smallville, chop chop, let's go. We can't have a wedding without the escort to give the bride away."

He was stopped dead in his tracks as she made her way down the stairs, pausing a few steps from the bottom. It was obvious to both that there had been a crackle of electricity as they got their first glimpse of each other dressed up. His jaw almost dropped to the floor as he took in the sight of Lois in her outfit, and she let out an inaudible gasp. A dark orange dress with a chocolate-coloured sash decorated with an ornate jewel tie to hold it in place around her waist. Her light brunette hair had been beautifully arranged around her face and flowed down at the back. Her make-up was done just right to show off her skin tone. Lois was glowing, utterly flawless. He drank her in from head to toe, finally locking onto her eyes. He could not think of another time when he'd seen her look as breathtaking as she did right now, and that was some feat because she always looked gorgeous when she dressed up.

Clark was unable to utter any words, never mind pay her a compliment. She seemed a little nervous all of a sudden as she looked him over, giving a small nod of appreciation to imply that he did indeed cut a handsome figure. He wasn't to know that Chloe's prophetic words were ringing in her ears. She'd met her super-stud, and she knew it. She was staring at The One.

"Looks like you're ready."

Clark did not want to take his eyes off her but was aware that she appeared to be equally captivated by him, and that made him shyly turn away. They way she'd spoken caused him to think. Of course he was ready, as in he was fully suited up, but it didn't sound like that was what she'd meant. He'd seen her eyes soften in a way that suggested she wasn't just impressed or merely thought him to look handsome. It was something more than that. By 'ready', did she mean 'ready for _her_ '?

The feeling of looseness around his shirt cuffs brought him out of the haze. His cufflinks still needed to be fixed. Since Lois was here, maybe she could help. Certainly, her response would either confirm or refute the inkling he had about her. If she was refuting what he suspected, she would throw some barbs his way and complain about him not being ready. Anything else would suggest that she was looking at him as something more. He wasn't sure how or if he could handle it if Lois was suggesting taking a new step in their relationship, and it hadn't escaped his attention that such thoughts were not scary for him at all. She'd be a terrific catch for any guy.

There was a way to test out his theory. A few weeks earlier, he'd gone to the apartment above the Talon while Lois was getting ready for her 'date' with Sebastian Kane. She looked incredible in her red dress and had got him tongue-tied and jealous - yes, _jealous_ \- of her date, and she wanted him to help zip her up. Was she really looking for a way to get some close proximity? Was it a ploy to show him what he'd be missing? Playing the same little trick here might work.

"I have it all under control, except for these cufflinks," he began, smiling almost apologetically. "They were my dad's and I've never had to put them on before."

While his statement was true enough, he fiddled with his left cuff as if to emphasise the point, and at least make it look as though he didn't just want to stare at her. She was already burned into his mind, and he found himself looking forward to seeing the various wedding photos and videos with her in them.

Lois smiled and made her way down the last few steps towards him, tucking the notepad she was carrying under her arm. Clark realised she was going to help him. She _was_ into him.

"Guess you don't have much need for cufflinks when you have a whole closet full of flannel shirts huh, Farmer John?"

Clark barely noted the mild jibe as the delicate aroma of her perfume caught under his nostrils. She smelled as heavenly as she looked. The closer she got, the more he got lost in her. She was having a real effect on him. This was not carefree abandon caused by the effects of red kryptonite, and it wasn't some magic spell or a love potion-laced drink. These were real thoughts and feelings. Was he actually falling for her too? He was certainly struggling to take his eyes of her face as she reached for his cuff.

"Big city boy, let me give you a lesson," sighed Lois, beaming. He felt the coolness of her fingers against his wrist briefly, and his own skin felt like it was on fire exactly on the spot where she'd made contact. Did she feel that too?

Now stood so close he could see his reflection in her eyes, his own eyes wandered to her hair and her face in profile as she busied herself with the task of fixing the cufflinks. Good god, she really was flawless! As stunning as he thought Chloe looked in her wedding dress, this was one of those occasions where the maid-of-honour might just end up stealing the limelight. It shouldn't be this way, but it was. He almost forgot she was still speaking until she piped up her instructions for how to fix cufflinks.

"You just have to make sure this part sticks up straight, and then it slides right in."

 _Yikes!_ The double entendre could not be missed. Clark couldn't believe she'd just said that. Even worse, he couldn't believe the split-second flash of something else sticking up before it slid right in. That split-second flash didn't involve cufflinks, though it did feature the two of them. The hot spot on his wrist now felt like it was travelling up his arm, down his chest and towards his groin. He was saved from turning beetroot because Lois had realised her faux-pas and was now looking up at him sheepishly. She knew he'd caught it and it was her with the rosy complexion building on her cheeks. She was even more beautiful when she was shy, nervous and embarrassed. He nodded a half-hearted acknowledgement but he still couldn't train his eyes away from hers. Or her lips now.

Lois tried to recover, and the best way was to remember that she was the sole member of the organising committee, and that there were still a few important tasks for Clark to perform. Lois would be standing in the ceremony too, but these were things that Clark had been asked to do on Jimmy's side. Smiling as though the embarrassing moment had passed, she handed Clark the small box with the ring, plus a copy of Jimmy's wedding vows she'd been carrying.

"The ring. You can give that to Jimmy when the minister signals, and here are his vows, in case he forgets."

He watched her step away to look at her notepad. This wasn't the Lois he would expect in this situation. Though she'd given him a list of instructions, gone was the bossiness and snarkiness. Her behaviour was uncharacteristically timid. Instead of looking him in the eye, she'd turned her back on him and seemed to be struggling to regain her composure. Whatever was going on here had clearly rattled her. Had her unintentional double entendre thrown her _that_ off-kilter?

Clark glanced at the vows in his hand. They were handwritten by Jimmy and though pretty brief, they were unquestionably heartfelt. Clark knew how strongly Chloe and Jimmy felt about each other and while Jimmy was no wordsmith, he was very good at putting his thoughts down on the page. He kept it simple and personal, just like the speech he'd given at their engagement party. One line in particular jumped out at Clark. Without even realising it, he began reading the excerpt.

"It's really hard for me…" he started, only now noticing that he was actually reading aloud. To save face and not come across as weird having uttered an incomplete sentence, he couldn't leave it there. He couldn't even pass it off as something to do with the cufflinks because that would make him sound like an idiot. No, he had to continue. "…to put my feeling into words, but from the moment we met, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

Still reading from the page, he intended to tell Lois how nice Jimmy's words were having just read some of them, if only to try and diffuse the awkward tension that had built up.

"Jimmy vows…they're really sweet."

Looking back up from the page as he passed comment, he caught Lois' reaction. Her face was a mixture of emotions, a smile of pure happiness and eyes tinged with hope. Did she think he was saying those words to her? Why would she believe he'd felt this way from the moment they'd met? Their relationship had begun with a mutual curiosity, moving on to irritation, teasing and banter interspersed with the odd tender moment. Plus, she knew how much he'd wanted to make a real go of things with Lana. None of these would suggest a longing for something more, never mind from the very beginning. Had Lois simply lost herself in the romantic haze a wedding day often brings?

Lois was the one who'd wanted him to take a job at the Daily Planet. She was the one who'd taken it upon herself to mentor him as a rookie reporter. She was the one who'd had an uncharacteristic fit of jealousy when catching him with Maxima in the elevator. It was her idea for them to pose as an engaged couple to try and flush out a kidnapper. She was the one who told the kidnapper that she loved Clark. She was the one who then pretended she'd lied all along after slipping the sensor off her finger. If she knew her answer didn't matter, why would she answer 'yes' to the madman's question? She was the one who'd initially wanted to move back to the farm. Thinking about it, would she have done any of these things if she loathed him, or felt no sense of attachment to him? It was clear that she liked and wanted to be around him. A lot.

And just a moment ago, the cufflinks episode had given him some confirmation that Lois might well have romantic feelings towards him. All of a sudden, it did not seem like such a bad idea to maybe pursue something more with her. He was and had been single for a long time, and the two had known each other for years so there was a pretty solid foundation of friendship behind it all.

The trouble was that Lois' expression now revealed her disappointment though she tried in vain to mask it. Plastering on the best smile she could muster, Lois attempted to downplay the moment.

"Yeah. He's a regular Cyrano."

She'd fallen for him alright. Having misunderstood his reading of the vows, she'd retreated into recovery mode. The nervousness was still there and he could tell she was feeling foolish for misreading the situation. He couldn't leave her feeling like a fool. What she didn't know was that he was in sync with her feelings. Clark knew he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off Lois during the wedding ceremony, and he was certain that he wanted to have one dance with her at the reception. The first of many? Rather than wanting to run a mile, he felt that the time was right. He could finally move on. He resolved to go for it tonight. There was no way she would misread his intentions again.

The awkwardly intimate moment was broken up by Jimmy's friend, who'd been charged with capturing wedding footage and testimonials from guests. Both Clark and Lois felt a wave of relief that they could focus on something else for a short while at least.

 _"When the right girl walks into your life, you'll know."_

She was the one who'd said those words to him a few months ago, and it now hit Clark that she was right. Little had he known that she was actually describing herself. Could Lois and Clark be a thing now? Maybe. Soulmates even? Not as ridiculous a notion as it may once have been.

For Clark, the girl on the stairs had him completely smitten. It could be the start of something truly great.


	3. Sparkly little ball and chain

**"Sparkly little ball and chain."**

Dressed in a black suit and shirt, standing by the kitchen counter of the Kent farmhouse with a glass of champagne in hand, he surveyed the scene in the living room. Of all people, he, Clark Kent, was about to have his own bachelor party. Grooms-to-be usually ended the night stripped down to their boxers and chained to a lamp post, if they were lucky. At least they still had their boxers. The less fortunate would have their number given to strippers or left on the walls in the ladies room, resulting in a furious tirade from the bride-to-be when she inevitably saw the sordid messages.

He would have considered the idea of a bachelor party unthinkable right up until very recently, but events over the past year had taught him that his burden would be far easier to bear if he let go of the guilt holding him down, stopped dwelling in the past, embraced the present and looked with hope towards the future. The fact that he could now do so was thanks largely to the role played by his gorgeous fiancée. His destiny wasn't his alone, but to be shared with the woman who could keep him grounded yet make him soar.

As Clark's best man, Oliver had hired a limo to whisk everyone off to Metropolis for the night. They would all share a toast at the house before heading off, and the drinks would be flowing in the limo. Upon reaching downtown Metropolis, the guys and gals would then head off separately to partake in whatever shenanigans had been planned for their respective bachelor and bachelorette parties. Though the parties would be very small at only three people apiece, Clark was happy that everybody here was someone he had come to care a great deal about.

Oliver was in charge of the guys' evening and had remained tight-lipped over what he had planned. He was definitely the party animal of that little group - Clark and Emil both being rather straight-laced. Emil was going to capture the evening on video, a touch frightened by the wicked glint in Oliver's eye. No doubt he would be made to do something he would never normally agree to, but he accepted that as it was a bachelor party, he couldn't chicken out and be a buzzkill. Unlike Clark and Oliver, he'd had his own bachelor party many years ago, getting married when he was still a junior doctor. He'd ended up paralytic and found a taste for impromptu karaoke.

Clark had hoped that a few other people from his past could have been here to share the experience with him. He would have loved for his oldest friend Pete to have made it but Pete had prior engagements in Wichita that he couldn't get out of. Bart, AC and Victor would have made things interesting - certainly Bart would have - but they were all were on patrol duty with the Justice League in order to give the Blur a night off. Clark thought about how it would have been great if Ryan were here to share this with him. He still missed Ryan whom he'd regarded as his little brother, but he wouldn't yet have been of legal age so would have had to miss out on all the fun anyway. Sadly, the cruel hand of fate had decreed that Ryan would never get to partake in his own rite of passage either.

Then there was Lex. If things had turned out differently, Lex could have been here as a friend too. Life, however, never turned out how you expected, and it was one of Clark's greatest regrets as for what had become of Lex. It was hard to believe that the two were once close friends. Clark shook his head to bring himself back to the here and now. Embracing the present.

Tess and Chloe were sharing the planning duties to give Lois one last night of freedom as a bachelorette. Chloe was in charge of the events and Tess had taken care of the venues, choosing from a host of exclusive clubs where entry was membership and VIPs only. Sometimes it really did pay to be a corporate bigwig. Clark knew that Lois would have liked her sister Lucy to share in the fun but as with Pete, she'd been unable to get time off to come to Metropolis. He didn't think Lana would have come even if invited since she and Lois weren't that close, but thinking of Lana didn't cause him to shut out everything else as it used to. He had moved on definitively, Lana was firmly a part of his past and the fact he was able to recognise it was a source of contentment in itself. Lois was his world now and as he'd told her, she always will be. Looking to the future with hope.

Ah, Lois. Ballsy, brash, beautiful, and _his_. He had hit the jackpot. He was winning at life. Everything was coming up Milhouse.

He almost didn't see the shapely profile coming down the stairs, so lost was he in what was happening in the living room. Black heels emphasising her long legs, a leopard print dress that showed off her figure to its fullest, the long brunette hair set against the face which always brought a smile out of him.

Hearing the slightest of creaks from the staircase, he turned to face her. Her hazel eyes and little smile revealed her nervousness, hoping that her appearance met with her fiancé's approval. She needn't have worried. Clark eyed her up and down, taking her in like he was seeing her for the first time, captivated and rendered almost speechless. He loved it when she became nervous because it gave a little extra colour to her cheeks which only added to the appeal. Though she'd never said it out loud, the way he looked at her adoringly made her melt and washed away all those apprehensions about whether she was good enough for him.

"Wow! Y-you look great!" he managed to utter. It didn't come out quite as emphatic as he'd hoped.

Lois wasn't perturbed. If anything, she seemed relieved to be able to downplay the moment. She was still getting used to having an engagement ring, and how she'd be the centre of attention for all matters nuptial over the coming months. The carefree and somewhat nomadic brat of little over five years ago was now a young woman who had found her home, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It didn't matter what fortunes or hardships lay ahead, so long as she had _him_.

"Thanks," she replied nonchalantly as she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. "Never hurts to change it up a little bit."

Her hand immediately went to her ring finger as she caressed the ring. It had become a habit ever since he'd placed it on her finger after proposing to her.

"Except for the ring…never gonna take that off," she continued, admiring it once more. "It's my…sparkly little ball and chain!"

Clark grinned. Only Lois could make the idea of marriage sound like an ordeal to be happy about. What was it she'd once paraphrased? Ah yes - marriage is the only war where you get to sleep with the enemy.

"So, you have any second thoughts about your girl's night out?"

He knew Lois would certainly be up for a night of drinking and debauchery. With everything that had been going on around them, it must have felt like years since she'd last partied. If she wanted to say goodbye to single-dom in style, then why not?

"Clark, my swinging single days have swung. It's just all this wedding stuff is very wedding-y. I never thought I'd be that gal."

He could understand what she meant. After all, it was just like him imagining a bachelor party for himself. What was once unthinkable was going to be a reality. Not only that, but it harked back to the long-held belief that she'd be left behind because anyone she became attached to would have a higher calling that made her feel insignificant in comparison. That sort of thing never leant itself to a long-term relationship, never mind getting married. Clark was certain he could never leave Lois behind because she was so integral to whatever lay ahead of him in the future. The two were broken out of their quiet moment by the excited footsteps coming from the hall.

The sound of a throat being cleared made Lois turned around. Tess had stepped from the hall into the kitchen, and she was wearing a strapless grey dress with a large diamond-encrusted necklace. Chloe was in tow, wearing a green top with a black skirt. Her arms were behind her back, as if she were hiding something. Both were in a very happy mood and both looked terrific too.

Tess spoke first. "Lois? I think there's something missing."

Lois had barely had time to look quizzically at Tess before Chloe produced a shiny tiara and veil from behind her back. She must have had a drink or two already because she was in super-bubbly form. "Ta-da! Your bachelorette super power-up!"

Chloe began to place the items on Lois' head as Lois looked back over to Clark, helping Chloe to place the tiara as she shrugged her shoulders to signify she was simply going with the flow.

"This is actually not bad. I thought I'd be spending the night chained to a blow-up doll while wearing a dog collar, so…"

Clark looked surprised. What kind of weird and wonderful bachelorette activities would Lois organise if given the chance?

"With this thing," Lois' eyes flicked upwards to the tiara on her head, now firmly in place as she sashayed and clicked her fingers, "I will be drinking free all night long!"

She gave Clark a friendly nudge on her way to the living room, leaving him standing there shaking his head and holding his drink as Chloe and Tess laughed.

"Yes she will," Tess reaffirmed as she joined Lois and Chloe.

Now that everybody had gathered in the living room, Clark took stock of the situation. Up to now, the only wedding-y thing he'd partaken in was the surprise engagement party thrown at Watchtower. Beyond that, he'd followed Lois' advice to stay out of the way while she took charge of planning their wedding day, so it was only now hitting him properly that all of this was for real. He couldn't help but look at Lois from behind as she laughed and joked with the others. When they next had some alone time, he would be getting his hands on that ass.

The girl that had stood on the stairs was going to be his wife but unbeknownst to him and the others, there was still a tale to be told first. One that involved champagne spiked with magic spells, missing engagement rings, stolen security vans full of cash, fire extinguishers, graffiti-daubed limos, on-stage duets, drunken impromptu weddings, crooked casino bosses, showgirl outfits and hungry lemurs wearing bandoliers. The night was just getting started, and they were in for the mother of all hangovers.


	4. I blame you for this!

" **I blame you for this!"**

 _Circa July 2018._

Fiddling with his cufflinks once more, Clark waited in the kitchen. He'd been adjusting and readjusting the lapels of his tux, his shirt cuffs and his black bow tie again and again, glancing over at his watch every couple of minutes. Since they were all dressed up for a night out, they'd be taking the truck to Metropolis rather than super-speeding, but that meant having to leave much earlier hence Clark's growing impatience. Lois had already spent an uncomfortable hour at the hair salon on Smallville's Main Street, wanting her hair to be just right. Feeling self-conscious, she had ignored Clark's comments about how beautiful her hair already was, deciding it needed jazzing up to convey the right level of tasteful elegance. The truth was, she didn't like being cooped up in the house and yearned to get out more but in her condition, being cooped up inside for hours on end was becoming a frequent occurrence. She was at 38 weeks.

The Kent farmhouse had had several licks of paint and updates to the décor over the years but by and large, it still resembled the house he had grown up in. It had never lost its old-fashioned charm. The farm had almost been sold in 2011 but the buyer panicked after the cataclysmic events caused by Darkseid and Apokolips and failed to close on the deal. Clark had kept hold of the property and when Martha's term of office had ended a year later, she'd returned to Smallville and chosen to live at the farmhouse once more. The majority of the land had been sold off in instalments in the intervening years but the farmhouse, the barn and a couple of other outbuildings remained under the Kent name. Though Martha lived alone, Clark and Lois would spend at least one weekend every month back in Smallville, and Clark could whizz by as often as he wished, especially if his mom needed some help. Martha had taken Clark's old room which still had plenty of space for her, so that the larger main bedroom could be shared by husband and wife as intended. The arrangement suited everybody.

Clark called out from downstairs. "Lois, are you ready yet?"

"Coming," was the short reply from the bedroom. He tuned into his super-hearing and caught Lois muttering to herself, "God, gimme a minute!"

To Clark's surprise, he heard the bedroom door open within the allotted minute, and then heard Lois stepping across the landing to the top of the stairs. She hadn't allowed him see her outfit because she was afraid he might compare it to a hot air balloon. If she chose to look at it reasonably, of course he would never think such a thing much less verbalise it, but still she let those doubts settle in her head on account of her size. The only thing she'd let Clark do before kicking him out of the room was to help put her pendant necklace on - a gift he'd bought prior to their originally intended wedding. He'd gotten dressed in the downstairs front room that nobody used.

"It's so itchy under here, and I can't scratch it."

Clark looked up at the girl on the stairs. Her bare feet could just be seen beneath a beautiful burgundy evening gown with gold shoulder straps. The cut at the top allowed for ample cleavage - and Lois' cleavage was more than ample given she was over 8 months now - above which the pendant necklace rested. The heart-shaped pendant was 24-carat gold and contained an oval photograph inlay no bigger than a small fingernail. The image within was a miniature replication of one of Lois' favourite photographs - the selfie of herself and Clark on a Mexican beach during their first trip abroad together as a couple. She had a thin gold bracelet on her right arm, and little gold earrings to complete the ensemble. She was holding a clutch bag which was the same colour as the gown.

Her face and hair were perfect, and though it was evident that she was carrying a little extra weight apart from her protruding belly, she still took Clark's breath away. It had been a while since he'd seen her in such attire but the impact was still the same. And that was despite Lois simultaneously trying to scratch an itch below her belly as well as attempting to remove a wedgie from behind. Her features were contorted in frustration as she let out a heavy sigh.

"If you're not feeling up to it, we don't have to go," suggested Clark in sympathy.

"I'm fine. Of _course_ we have to go, Clark. They're giving me an award. How would it look if I didn't show up in person?"

"I'm sure they'd understand."

"News waits for no woman. It doesn't take much to be out of the picture. Before you know it, you're writing about stray cats for some local rag. Name and reputation are everything in this business."

The itch under her belly still hadn't been scratched to her satisfaction.

"You've won plenty of awards," Clark offered. "Everyone seems to think you're in line for a Pulitzer soon."

"This is the Edward R. Murrow Press Society banquet!" replied Lois, exasperated and gesturing with her arms out to imply the significance of the occasion to be obvious.

"Lo, they gave you an award three years ago!" Clark recalled.

"That was on Perry's behalf! I had to fly coach all the way to San Francisco, the airline lost my bag and nobody at the gala knew who the hell I was. Half of them didn't even know who Perry was, can you believe that?"

She plopped her clutch bag onto the flat section of the banister railing to allow for the use of both hands to finally resolve her itching.

"Look, if you're uncomfortable, we can call and arrive fashionably late," suggested Clark, aware that Lois would be fidgety the whole ride there and back, plus during the banquet itself.

"Alright, you wanna know why I want to go to this despite looking like a giant spacehopper?"

"Lo, you do not look like a spacehopper, and before you say it, you are _not_ fat."

"I can't even see my own feet Clark!"

"Well, uh…that's because you've provided such a nice warm temporary home for our baby," he vamped, caught out by his own urge to say something to placate her. He hoped it would do as he diverted his eyes to look around anywhere but straight at her. It didn't.

"Cut the crap, Smallville. I know I'm huge."

"Come on, you are not huge. You're cuddlier, and I still think you're the hottest woman in the world. You can do sexy without breaking sweat."

"Fine. Now you'll never know!"

"I'm sure you'll tell me anyway," Clark smirked, knowing she wouldn't be able to help herself.

Before she knew she'd been tricked into confessing, she'd already opened her mouth and begun to yammer away.

"When they last held the society banquet in Metropolis, I got turned down at the gate. My name wasn't on any guest list and I didn't even have the fall back of being a plus one. I could see colleagues I worked with at the Planet and even a couple from the Inquisitor. I'm pretty sure they were laughing at my expense."

"How do you know any of them will show up tonight?"

"I don't, but that's not the point. At the time, I felt as though I was at my lowest ebb professionally. I was stuck in a rut doing filler articles and Randall kept turning down my bigger scoops. I was so desperate I made up a story on the fly."

Clark gave her a quizzical stare.

"Ugh," she sighed, widening her eyes. "Hello? Stiletto!"

The flash of recollection hit Clark like a freight train. The tightest of black pleather outfits, a billowing cape, matching knee-high boots and a black mask offsetting ruby red lips and flowing dark hair. The flash of recollection also brought him to the moment in the early hours of a few days later when he'd woken up all of a sudden bathed in sweat and at half mast, thinking about 'Blur-Etto' - he remembered internet fan sites coming up with that nickname for the pair of them - getting it on at his desk back at the Daily Planet. That imaginary tryst had carried on in the elevator and then up in Tess' office where the windows got completely steamed up and pleather came off, until a knock on the door had snapped him out of the dream before they could reach a finish. Clark was currently looking away from Lois to hide the redness climbing up his cheeks.

"Man, I'd forgotten all about that," Clark spoke under his breath, before asking out loud, "Do you still have that outfit?"

A devilish grin spread across Lois' face, representing a complete about-turn from her earlier flustered state. Without realising it, Clark had managed to calm her down. "Wow Smallville, I didn't have you down as having a leather fetish. Tights yes, but leather?"

Clark tilted his head to one side as a silent request for Lois to knock it off with the teasing. She smiled brightly knowing she'd got through his defences yet again. Grabbing her bag, she made to make her way downstairs and plant her feet in the soft and comfortable low-heeled shoes waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Just as she was taking her first step, she felt an unfamiliar knotting at the base of her stomach followed by a whoosh of air. For the briefest of moments, she wondered why things felt a little lighter before realising there was moisture trickling its way down her legs. Glancing down at the edge of the top step, she could see a pool of water expanding. She was certain she hadn't just wet herself, so it could only mean…

"Uh oh!"

"What is it?" Clark's voice had yet to convey an appropriate sense of alarm.

"Change of plans. We're not going to the banquet."

"You changed your mind again?"

"Don't freak out," she answered, her eyes now wide as saucers as she herself began to freak out, "but my water just broke."

At that very moment, Martha opened the kitchen door and entered with a bag of groceries. Since she'd be spending the evening alone, she'd chosen to treat herself to a nice glass of red and a good book in front of the fireplace. It was something she'd often done at her rented house in Washington but it had always lacked the cosiness of the Kent farmhouse.

"Hi Clark. You're both still here? I thought you'd have left by-"

"-Mom, Lois' water just broke," he interrupted. "She's going into labour."

Quickly dumping the groceries down on the kitchen counter, Martha hurried over to the stairs to see Lois in her panicked state.

"Have the contractions started?" she asked, instantly in take-charge mode.

"No, but they can't be far away," replied Lois shakily, taking a couple of deep breaths and propping herself against the wall.

Clark headed up the stairs to tend to Lois, dropping an old rag onto the top step to mop up the spill with his foot while speaking to his mom. "We discussed our options. I can either take Lois to Emil's clinic or bring him here. He has some equipment set aside just in case."

"Lois, do you think you can make it to the clinic?" Martha called out.

Lois' eyes practically bugging out as she felt her first contraction told Martha the answer. Clark would have to fetch Emil.

"You go, honey. I'll stay with Lois. We've got towels, ice in the freezer. I think I can manage for the few seconds it takes you to bring Emil over. You call him, and I'll head on up."

Clark gently took Lois by the arm and led her to their bedroom. By now, Lois was gritting her teeth as the pain began to increase in intensity. Once he'd settled her down onto the bed, Martha came in with a handful of clean towels and a large blanket. Clark left her to it and dialled Emil's number. The doctor answered on the second ring, and seemed to know exactly why Clark was calling. He was prepared.

"Emil, it's time. Are you ready to come over to the house?" At the doctor's affirmative, he added, "I'm on my way."

The clinic was closed for the day and Emil was alone. He'd just spent the past hour perusing through the patient notes of a meteor freak he'd treated earlier in the otherwise uneventful day. As Emil put together everything that would be required at the house - surgical gowns, gloves, masks, a digital weighing machine, a holdall with the appropriate medication such as epidurals and IV lines - he carried on explaining what Clark needed to do. Within seconds, Superman was knocking on his door at the clinic.

"Has she started her contractions?"

"Yeah, just as I was leaving."

"OK. You take all this back to the house and then come back to get me." Sensing that Clark was on edge, he put a hand on Clark's shoulder to reassure him. "Hey Superman, it'll be fine."

Barely a minute had gone by, and Emil was now by Lois' bedside setting up the equipment as Martha and Clark helped Lois with her breathing. There was no telling how long she would be in labour.

* * *

Lois had been in labour for nearly two hours now and the epidural had long since kicked in, easing her discomfort. She was close to being fully dilated.

Clark stepped out of the room after feeling the overwhelming urge to clear his head, and it was now that he remembered he had a few calls to make. He needed to call Lois' father and Lucy to let them know what was happening so they could make plans to come over to the house, and he wanted to call Chloe to let her know too. Picking up the phone, he was just about to dial when he heard a knock at the front door.

Opening it, his face lit up when he saw a tiny blonde standing there with a beaming smile - a face he hadn't seen in months. Chloe was here already, clutching a bouquet of expensive flowers and a small gift bag.

"Chloe! How did you-?"

"Clark, hi!" she replied, stepping in and giving her great friend a big hug.

"I was just about to call you."

"Don't sweat it, Clark. Your mom called while you were fetching Emil. Well, she just said 'the baby is on the way' and to come to the house before she hung up. We had wheels up within thirty minutes. We got here as soon as we could."

"We?" enquired Clark, looking around and not seeing anybody behind her in the porch.

Just then, an even smaller blonde wearing blue denim dungarees, little white sneakers and a dark green parka charged into the house. He looked like a kid who'd just been told he was going to Disneyland such was his excitement.

"Uncle Clark!" he shouted as Clark looked down. Clark got on his haunches to wrap up the youngster in an even bigger hug than his mother had, before lifting him in the air. Little Jonathan Sullivan-Queen sure was growing up fast. He was going to be 4 years old in just a few months time.

"Johnny! Hey buddy, how are you doing?!"

Clark lifted Johnny up again and whirled him around, side to side and over his head like an airplane, to the obvious delight of the boy. It gave Chloe the opportunity to remove her coat and set her gifts down in the living room. Johnny was Clark's first nephew and he adored him. Johnny, like practically every kid, had taken to Clark immediately and was very attached. He'd hardly notice his mom was not around as long as either Clark or Lois was there. For her part, Lois absolutely loved Johnny as though he was her very own, and she was fiercely protective of him. She'd dreamed of the day Johnny had a little cousin he could play with.

Once upon a time, Lois had felt as though she could never get close to babies as they elicited a sense of fear in her because they could be so unpredictable, they took her out of her element. So when one day a sleep-deprived Chloe placed a cranky and restless three month old Johnny in Lois' arms to see if she could get the baby to calm down, it was to the surprise of everyone in the room when Johnny began to do so, falling asleep within minutes, head resting against an unfamiliar but nice and warm bosom. Lois would deny it when brought up later, but she had felt a pang of broodiness. Her body was betraying her as she cradled something so tiny, warm and delicate. She would guard him with her life.

* * *

Johnny was sound asleep on the couch having eaten half the sandwich Martha had prepared for him, along with a full glass of milk. Ever the gracious host, she'd insisted that Chloe, Clark and Emil eat something too. Since her plans for the evening had not involved any cooking, she didn't have the ingredients or the time to make a proper meal as she would have liked, but she did whip up some delicious ham and cheese omelettes for everybody together with a simple mixed salad. Lois being in the throes of labour had declined to eat anything. Johnny had tried a bit from his mom's plate but like all kids trying something new, he gave no indication as to whether he liked it. He didn't turn his nose up at it though. Martha ensured that everybody was fed before preparing a fresh omelette for herself.

Chloe and Martha sat on the couch and talked about Johnny. Chloe had mentioned about how Oliver was currently away on business so couldn't be here, but he'd been notified and would endeavour to make the trip to Smallville in a couple of days or so if all went smoothly with his latest deal. Johnny tended to clam up a bit when Martha tried to talk to him, but he would always take anything she offered with a polite 'thank you', and if he wanted something, he would always say 'please'. Oliver and Chloe had taught him well, and Martha could tell the infant already had the charismatic smile of his father and the slightly mischievous glint in his eyes like his mother.

Throughout the evening, the silence downstairs had been punctuated by agonised screams from the bedroom as contractions came and went, but now they were becoming more frequent, Martha left Chloe and Johnny downstairs to head back and see what was happening. She'd timed it impeccably as when she entered the room, the baby was crowning away. It was now a matter of minutes.

Martha surveyed the scene. Lois was panting hard, breathing in and out heavily as the drugs seemed to be less and less effective now. She was sweating profusely with her bangs clinging to her forehead. Her face was flushed red from her exertions. She was absolutely exhausted and wanted to stop but she knew she had to keep going. If she could ride out the next few minutes, she was home and dry. Emil was sat on a chair at the end of the bed dressed like a surgeon, complete with the apparel he'd brought. Clark had declined to put on the spare set. Emil was getting ready to deliver the baby now. Lois' legs had been raised, fixed to the stirrups Emil had brought along at the last second. A large blanket had been placed over her to provide a semblance of modesty. Clark was on Lois' left, holding her hand and urging her to continue pushing even when she felt the pain would overwhelm her.

"C'mon Lois, I need you to push. Not much further to go," Emil encouraged.

"Arrrrghh!" cried Lois. "Smallville, I blame you for this!"

Clark responded by taking her hand in both of his, whispering sweetly in her ear. "I know. I do too! C'mon honey, we're nearly there."

Martha quickly stepped over to Lois' right, sitting down in the chair provided and adjusting the pillows behind Lois which had gone askew. She gently placed her hand on Lois' shoulder, softly urging Lois on with the others.

"Sweetie, that's it. Just one more."

Lois gripped Clark's hand tighter. With one last monumental effort, she summoned a huge heave and threw her head back into the pillows. She suddenly felt lighter in the belly, lighter in the head and no longer found it necessary to squeeze. The baby was out. Everybody in the room now heard the first cries of the newborn - naked and shivering now it was finally away from its warm and comfortable environs and in the coolness of the open air.

Smiling beneath his mask, Emil turned to look at Clark. "Would Mr Kent care to do the honours?"

He handed a metal tool to Clark, who cut the umbilical cord and at the same time, got his first glimpse of his baby. He was speechless and awestruck, taken over completely by a feeling he had never before experienced. The baby was finally here. Snapping out of it, he did a quick dab of x-ray vision and was delighted that everything was normal. One head, two arms, two legs, ten fingers and ten toes, and a decent set of lungs judging by the noise coming from something so tiny he could hold it in one hand.

"I'll just get the baby cleaned up and weighed," said Emil, getting up to do just that. He got busy carrying out the procedures normally carried out once a baby has been delivered.

Lois lay back against her pillow, still breathing hard but now out of relief rather than pain. She was so tired she simply wanted to doze off but another part of her insisted she stay awake. The sense of detachment from her baby was palpable and what she wanted most of all was to finally hold her child in her arms and look into its eyes. After closing her eyes for a moment, she opened them to see the love of her life - the tall one anyway - staring at her. He'd sat back down beside her, delicately brushing her hair away from her face. He had a faintest of smiles tracing his lips but his eyes stared right at and through her, and spoke of love. Pure and simple love.

As much as Martha wanted to share in the moment, she understood this to be the time to take a back seat and let the proud parents spend their first moments with their newborn baby. She noted that neither Emil nor Clark had said anything about the sex of the baby yet. Seconds later, she had her answer as Emil stepped over to hand the baby, fully cleaned up and freshly wrapped in soft cotton, over to Lois. Martha had little inclination to stop the tears from escaping her eyes.

"Lois, Clark, 8 pounds exactly," he began, pulling his mask down to his chin. "A beautiful and perfectly healthy baby girl. I would like to be the first to say congratulations to you both."

He took a step back, folded his arms and sighed as he watched the new parents with their first child. He was physically exhausted too, and it was only now that he was feeling it. It was much the same as when he used to perform complicated and lengthy surgery. He would maintain concentration and stamina to the very end, only feeling the onslaught of tiredness after stepping out of the OR to scrub down.

"I'll give you two a moment," he added, removing the rest of his surgical clothing and taking a sip of water. Other than Lois, he'd spent the most time holed up in the bedroom and he needed to get some fresh air. He left the room and headed downstairs to give a dozing Chloe the happy news.

Martha's tears were flowing freely now. She walked over to Clark and he enveloped her in a hug that lasted for over a minute. No words needed to be exchanged as just a look and a hug told each other exactly what they felt. Then she leaned down to give Lois a hug and a kiss on top of her head, using the opportunity to gently caress the baby's head.

"I am so proud of you Lois. It's been so long since I've felt this happy," she laughed as she wiped her eyes. "I'll give you both a moment too."

Once they were alone in the room, Lois handed their baby girl to Clark so he could hold her properly for the first time. Seeing a man of six foot five being so unbelievably gentle with something barely a foot long and incredibly delicate simply left her astonished. Clark placed a little kiss on his baby's forehead, revelling in the sensation of feeling her tiny breaths as she lay there half asleep. If Lois could sum up what she was watching in one word, that word would be 'contentment'. No, scratch that. The word would be 'perfect'.

Clark passed his baby girl back to Lois who cradled her in her arms as Clark leaned down to give his wife a kiss this time. This one was both a thank you and an 'I love you' in one. He uttered those words as he gazed into Lois' eyes.

"Right back at ya, Smallville!" Lois smiled, kissing him back.

Together they looked at the new addition to their world. She was finally here! The two people who once found a way to bicker when there was nothing to bicker over had created a new life together. Perhaps sensing that she was now in the company of the two most important people in her life, the baby girl opened her eyes.

"Hi you!" said Lois in the softest voice she could muster, stroking her daughter's soft dark wispy hair.

They both smiled wide as they watched their daughter react to the sound of their voices and detect their head movements. Her tongue popped out for a split second as she let out a huge yawn, and she was making those grunting noises that newborn babies make when they're awake.

"You really are beautiful, just like your mom," opined Clark, seemingly to himself, so lost in his baby was he. The pair of them simply sat and watched, utterly enchanted.

"Not to rush things, but we need a name for this little one. You know, I always thought your mom, your Kryptonian mom, had a really beautiful name."

"That's funny," answered Clark, "because I really liked your mom's name too."

"Why not both then?" suggested Lois, adding, "Lara Ella…Ella Lara" as she thought it through.

She and Clark then uttered in unison as they came to a mutual agreement. "Lara Ella!"

Lois gazed back down on Lara Ella, who shifted her head as though nodding her approval. Both Lois and Clark laughed.

"Hi Lara Ella Kent! We're your mommy and daddy!" Lois announced.

"They're all dying to come in Lois. Should I let them in?" asked Clark as he quietly stood up.

"Yeah. Oh, and just so we're clear, I don't mind at all if she goes by just Lara. You have given me the most wonderful gift any girl could ever have, and I think it's only right that you have a Lara that you can see and touch every day." Then in a teasing tone, Lois explained, "That's not up for discussion, Smallville!"

Nobody really kept track of the time as everyone bar Johnny came up to the room to meet little Lara. It was hugs, kisses and handshakes all round. The little girl was quite content to be passed around from person to person as she'd now fallen asleep. After a while, Lois could no longer fight to stay awake herself so Chloe and Martha helped tuck her in before they left the room. Soon enough, Clark joined Lois, with Lara wrapped up and tucked into her little bassinet. It had been a hugely exhausting but highly rewarding evening.

* * *

Oliver was on the farmhouse doorstep shortly before noon the following day. Since Lois was trying to follow the baby's sleeping patterns, it was another couple of hours before he got to meet the new arrival and greet Lois, although Johnny had excitedly filled him in on all the wild and crazy things he and Lara would be doing from hereonin. Oliver and Clark took Johnny out for a wander around the farm, and it gave them a chance to talk about various things such as the pitfalls of parenthood and the Justice League. Johnny had a chance to see the animals out in the fields during the day, staring in wonderment at the cows and horses, and occasionally mimicking their sounds as only a child can.

Clark's thoughts drifted to the girl on the stairs the previous evening, fretting over her size and fearful of being forgotten in a highly cut-throat industry. That girl, no, _woman_ , was the love of his life and now the mother of his child. He had to wonder how they'd found themselves here after their antagonistic early days, but he wouldn't change any of it for the world. Kryptonian by birth he might have been, but everything else about him was very human - the capacity for emotion, the capacity for hope and the capacity to love.


	5. A slight detour

**A slight detour.**

In the elegant banqueting hall of the Grand Metropolis Hotel, the 150 guests had just been served a sumptuous 4-course dinner, the champagne was flowing freely and there was an open bar policy for the evening, all paid for by the sponsors of the event. Each round table had eight people seated around it, and all had turned to face the stage once the award-giving segment of the night had commenced. As for all the other award winners, the applause went up amongst the guests when Lois' name was called out as the recipient of the Press Society award for Mid-West Reporter of the Year.

As people looked around waiting for the recipient to walk on stage, Perry White stopped applauding and stood up. Heading towards the stage and exchanging a quick word with the host of the event, he shook hands and accepted the silver platter before walking up to the podium to say a few words. He'd noticed the applause die down into a hum of confusion, so he steeled himself and cleared his throat. Running a hand through his silvery and receding hairline, he sucked in his stomach to hide the paunch being kept at bay by the starched white shirt and black tuxedo jacket. Now he needed to find some words. Lois would have had a speech prepared but he had to speak on the fly since he'd fully expected his ace reporting duo to be here in person tonight.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Before you ask, Lois has not had a drastic makeover!" he began, eliciting a ripple of laughter from one or two onlookers as he pointed out his ruddy-cheeked complexion. "Most of you know me, and I'm graciously accepting this award on behalf of Lois and the Daily Planet as she couldn't be here tonight. I know she would have loved to accept this award herself and I'm sure she'd have had more than a few words for you all, but you'll just have to make do with me!"

He surveyed the audience who appeared to be hanging on his every word. It never ceased to amaze him how he inspired a level of awe and reverence amongst people in his chosen field. Many a cub reporter would act like they'd just met the Pope or the Dalai Lama. Perry didn't consider himself to be anything out of the ordinary, unlike the woman he was representing on stage at this moment, or indeed the woman's husband. Whatever reputation he'd earned had come about through persistence and work ethic rather than a natural aptitude for journalism. He could not stop the smile creeping across his face as he decided on how best to express his next thought.

"What I would like to tell you all is that I got a phone call twenty minutes ago, informing me that Lois has just given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Mother and baby are doing extremely well, and I couldn't be more proud of her."

One or two claps in the audience slowly reached a crescendo of noise as everybody began to applaud once more. As much as he would have liked to keep taking advantage of the open bar and really enjoy the occasion, he wanted to remain lucid so that he could make the trip to Smallville the following evening and see the new addition to the Kent family for himself. He had accommodated Lois' needs right up to the point she'd grudgingly accepted the need to take her maternity leave three weeks ago. He'd allowed her to continue working from home but put a stop to it one week ago. Her protests had fallen on deaf ears as he painstakingly pointed out how he didn't want HR and legal on his case.

* * *

Martha had just put the dishes in the sink as the comforting scent of home-baked apple pie continued to linger in the kitchen. Glancing over towards the dining table, she saw Lois' father sitting on the bench seat over by the window. The scene before her made her instinctively tilt her head. It was the sort of reaction that is best described as a wordless 'Aww!' as she took in the sight of grandfather and granddaughter sharing a private moment.

Sam Lane had retired several years ago, and while he was still occasionally consulted on military matters, he was very much a civilian now. He still looked after himself as he had always done throughout his career so despite his advancing years, he still insisted on three square meals a day. He still sported the sturdy frame and muscular bulk of his heyday. He still shaved his head once a week, not interested in hairstyles, and he still shaved his face every morning. With the bulk of his adult life having been spent living with routine, it wasn't an easy habit to give up, and nor did he want to. He could still summon up the glare of disdain that had intimidated so many people over the years, but the lines of ageing were much more prominent. He'd kept his dogtags and still wore them around his neck as he felt almost naked without them. The military fatigues and General's uniform had gone, to be replaced by khaki pants and a Hawaiian shirt. Sam had developed a penchant for Hawaiian shirts that always made Lois affectionately mock him the way she would Clark's love of plaid.

Sam was holding Lara in the crook of his left arm, the baby's head fully supported as his hand soothingly rubbed against the baby wrap covering Lara's tiny feet. The knuckle of his right index finger was gently caressing Lara's rosy cheek as he whispered something inaudible to his granddaughter who was sound asleep. The usually stern and regimented figure looked every bit the doting grandfather he was. He didn't notice Martha come over.

"She has that effect on everyone," she said, softly.

Sam looked up. "I'd forgotten what it was like to fall in love. I've been lucky enough to experience it four times now," he explained, the faintest trace of a smile showing on his features.

"It keeps you young."

"That it does, Martha, that it does. You know, I remember what it felt like when Lo was born - it seems like only yesterday. Ella was so tired she couldn't stay awake, even though the men were being put through their paces right outside. Lo had started crying - hell of a set of lungs! - and the nurse couldn't get her to quieten down. She placed Lois in my arms to see if that would work. Here's this tiny little thing, squirming inside her blanket, face turning red, just bawlin' and bawlin'. She'd slept, been fed, burped and had a diaper change but still wouldn't settle. I don't scare easy, Martha, but I was scared then. All of a sudden, I felt a weight of responsibility like I'd never felt before. How would I measure up? _Would_ I measure up? Then I felt Lo's cheek snuggle against my arm, all warm and so so soft, and she stopped crying. Just like that. That's when I knew she'd be a daddy's girl."

Martha smiled at his tender account, as it wasn't often that Sam let his guard down and showed his softer side. "Sam, she still sees herself that way."

Sam nodded. The little smile gave way to sorrowful eyelids and the appearance of a frown, causing Martha to look concerned.

"We all have regrets in life," Sam confessed. "My biggest regret is that I didn't make enough time to just be 'Dad' for my two girls. I know that's had an impact on their lives and the choices they've made. That is the one thing I would change out of everything I've done."

"Sam, you did the best you could. You shouldn't be down on yourself."

"I know, Martha," he sighed. "Being retired gives a man time to think - to look back over his life and the choices he's made. I'm proud of the woman Lois has become, and the woman Lucy is becoming. Like true Lanes, they're taking on the world."

Martha chuckled at how apt that statement was.

"With this little one, I would just like to be 'Grampa'. No General, no orders, no postings to far-flung corners of the globe. Just enjoy her with whatever time I've got left."

"Sam, she is lucky to have Grampa in her life," Martha answered, using Sam's own very informal term for how he'd like to be addressed - not Granddad or Grandpa, but 'Grampa'. "And judging by how she's nuzzling your arm, I'd say she doesn't mind one bit."

Sam turned to look back at Lara, who was indeed nuzzling her cheek into Sam's arm. He revelled in the warmth and softness he could feel against his skin.

"No, me neither."


	6. There you go!

**"There you go!"**

 _Circa Fall 2019._

Clark and Lois were in Smallville for the weekend. They had the house to themselves as Martha was away in Washington, not in a work capacity but to stay with an old friend for the weekend. She often made little weekend trips to visit and stay in touch with people she'd gotten to know well during her term in the capital. Sometimes, she'd have friends come over to Smallville to stay at the farm and sample the delights of rural Kansas. It kept her active.

So it was with that that Clark had come home with some groceries. Most of the stuff was for Lara - diapers, wipes, some new bibs and so on - and he set it down to one side. He could hear Lois upstairs talking to her baby girl. Any second now, Lois would be bringing Lara downstairs, or so he thought. He walked over to the bottom of the stairs to get a closer look.

At first he saw Lois reach the landing at the top. She didn't have Lara in her arms, but instead was speaking to her and cajoling her. And then Lara toddled into view.

The girl on the stairs never failed to put a smile on his face no matter what trials and tribulations he'd faced during the day. He'd see some traumatic scenes when out rescuing people as Superman and while he endeavoured to make things as painless as possible for those who needed help, sometimes it required people to break beyond their pain threshold in order for Superman to save their lives. Grateful that his help was always taken at face value instead of people claiming for liability, he still had to think about the repercussions of anything he did as Superman. He was bringing his work home with him, although he always tried to leave it at the front door. The reason? The girl on the stairs.

"There she is! There's my little princess!" he said as he stood at the bottom of the stairs.

The beaming smile slowly spread across Lara's face as she heard her daddy's voice and saw him standing there waiting for her. She'd be rewarded with a cuddle and a series of raspberry kisses on her cheeks once she reached him, and she seemingly couldn't wait.

"Hey pumpkin," cajoled Lois. "Wanna show daddy what you can do?"

Lara could only utter a few words at the moment, but she'd been walking for a few months now and loved to run around. Lois would pretend to chase her, making her laugh as her little legs carried her wherever she wanted to go. She would occasionally bump into things but generally brushed it off as nothing, unless it was a pretty big booboo. Then she would burst into tears and demand to be picked up, glaring and pouting at whatever object had caused it once the sobs had died down.

Lois sat on the top step and encouraged Lara to follow suit. Lara was dressed in a cute lemon yellow dress with a cuddly bear on it. Her dark brown hair had been arranged with two little pigtails on either side, with her bangs out front. She had beautiful big hazel eyes, a cute-as-a-button nose and very chubby cheeks. Lois thought she looked like the character Boo from the movie _Monsters, Inc._ she remembered seeing as a teenager many years ago. Adorable, simply adorable.

"What you gonna show daddy, huh?"

Lara sat on the top step beside Lois before shuffling on her bottom, manipulating her legs out of the way and back as she took the next step down, holding onto the edge with her tiny hands. Lois sat down every couple of steps to make sure she could stop Lara from falling if need be. Clark watched, rapt and swelling with pride as the apple of his eye worked out how to make her own way down the stairs. Her face was a picture of concentration, right down to sticking her tongue out every once in a while. Throughout, Lois gave her words of encouragement as they continued to negotiate the staircase. They had done this for the first time while Clark was out, and Lois was eager for him to see the latest new thing Lara had learned how to do.

As Lara made her way down to the final couple of steps, Clark moved back to give her some space and let her come running to him. Lara did look up at him once or twice and it seemed to give her the motivation to continue. There was a reward at the bottom of those stairs.

"There you go!" said Clark, cajoling Lara to make it all the way down as she got faster at descending each step.

Lara reached the bottom step but because she'd been doing the shuffle and leg tuck routine for the past few minutes, it hadn't occurred to her that it wasn't necessary on the last step. So with that, she plopped onto her bottom on the floor, eliciting a "Whoops!" from Lois. Lois and Clark both laughed. When she realised there was nowhere for her legs to go beneath her to shuffle, she propped herself up by her arms and gradually forced herself into a standing position.

"Yay!" Clark and Lois both cheered and clapped in unison.

Now that she was on solid ground that she could run about on, Lara did just that, waddling over to Clark's waiting arms. She'd earned her reward, and it was raspberry kisses and cuddles all round, making her giggle happily. She was daddy's little girl alright.

"Hi gorgeous!" said Clark as he embarked on yet another round of kisses and cuddles.

The girl on the stairs was learning something new every single day, and he was loving every second of watching her grow. To hear her, to see her and to touch her were things he longed for whenever he was away from her, and cherished when he was there. There would come a time when these little moments would disappear as Lara grew older, but why not enjoy them while you can?


	7. You're gonna knock 'em dead

" **You're gonna knock 'em dead."**

 _Circa June 2036._

Superman had just whooshed into the Kent farmhouse after rescuing some hostages from a building on the other side of the country. The terrorists responsible had been rounded up in double quick time and were now being taken to police headquarters for a thorough interrogation. None of the hostages required hospitalisation. A quick spin and he was back in his ordinary attire of red plaid shirt and blue jeans, about to pour himself a glass of fresh orange juice from the fridge. It was early evening on what had been a very warm day.

The commotion from upstairs made him turn around. Both the voices and the conversation were familiar. Knowing he might have to play the role of mediator, he walked over to the bottom of the stairs. It wasn't an argument, more the words of reassurance from one of the participants falling on deaf ears with the other. Both sounded a little exasperated by the impasse.

Looking up, Clark saw the girl on the stairs, long brunette hair with red streaks set into an updo to accentuate the slender figure in the elegant dark crimson dress. She had been accessorised minimally with a thin silver bracelet on both wrists, a thin silver necklace and little studded earrings. She was ready for her senior prom.

"Wow, you look just like your mom."

Lara really did. Anyone who saw Lois and Lara side by side couldn't fail to notice the obvious resemblance. While not exactly a doppelgänger, Lara's features were so strikingly Lois that she turned heads wherever she went. Her nose and lips were exactly like her mother's, and she had the same beautiful wide smile, but it was in her eyes were where she differed the most. In normal light, they were hazel but when they caught a bright light, they reflected back a curious shade of blue. Saying that mother and daughter looked alike was meant as a compliment to both, but to a currently flustered Lara it was anything but.

"Oh great! Old, grey and wrinkly, _just_ what I needed to hear!" she griped, slapping her hands down against her sides in resignation.

"Hey, less of your lip, young lady! I'm not old, grey or wrinkly, thank you very much!" protested Lois in response.

"Sorry mom."

Lois sighed. She had simply wanted to reassure her daughter that her date would think she was beautiful even if she kept her make-up and accessories subtle. Lois' thinking was that a subtle approach worked better in bringing out Lara's natural beauty but Lara felt that she needed more adornments in order to stand out. She wasn't especially given to obsessing about her body image but as with everybody of her age, there was always going to be a small element of that. She had no designs on being a vacuous bimbo and she knew that nobody would think of her as ugly, but there was a train of thought in her mind that she wasn't among the model elite types at her school. They were generally the ones who had the pick of the guys. Also, as this was the senior prom, she wanted it to be memorable.

"It's OK. Look, trust me honey, Bobby is going to love it."

"Your mom's right," Clark affirmed. "You look amazing Lara. You remind me of your mom before you were born."

"Oh, I don't look amazing now?" Lois decided to feign resentment in order to get Clark to compliment her. It was part of the teasing to and fro that they'd never let go of, and a big factor in the longevity of their relationship. They had been together for 27 years now, 19 of which were as husband and wife. In all that time, neither Lois nor Clark felt trapped by their relationship and neither had made eyes elsewhere. They were soulmates for a reason.

"Lo, you know what I mean. Don't tell me I need to reassure you too?" Clark joked back.

As Lara and Lois headed downstairs, Clark realised by looking at the clock that there was still a fair bit of time before Lara's date Bobby would arrive. Bobby's family were fairly wealthy though not prone to flaunting it like other wealthy families. Bobby's father was a billionaire who controlled a conglomerate which was in some sectors a direct rival to both LexCorp and Queen Industries, but there was no hint of the Machiavellian scheming the likes of Lionel and Lex Luthor were so fond of. He was much less ostentatious with his wealth even if he indulged in one or two of the trappings of his success. He didn't believe in a private education for his children before they went off to university, preferring for them to develop and gain experience in the real world since most of the people they'd be dealing with in future had spent their formative years outside of the elite classes. Even so, he wanted them to attend Ivy League universities just as he had. Bobby would be attending Harvard Business School in the fall.

Lara had been accepted into Yale to study astronomy. She'd grown up with a passion for stargazing and had an aptitude for the physics aspects of the subject. When she was just a little girl, Clark had explained to her about a planet named Krypton, and it had fired her imagination and fuelled a determination to seek ways for humans to engage in inter-planetary travel. She had never divulged her father's secret, and she idolised him for all the good that he did in the world. Lara's other big passion was for swimming. She'd been on the swim teams at all her schools, and though she didn't possess her father's super abilities, she did have the grace, stamina and determination to be a real dynamic force in the pool.

Bobby had persuaded his dad to hand over the use of his personal limo and driver for the evening as he wanted to make a good impression. Though he would have to come out to Smallville to pick Lara up, the senior prom was being held at their school just outside Metropolis. It wasn't too long a drive. They didn't label themselves as boyfriend and girlfriend but the two of them had grown very close over the past two years so to anyone who saw them, that is what they were.

Clark stepped into the living room and switched on the digital projector, swiping away a few times until he came across the folder he was looking for. Sweeping his hand over the display, he sent the series of images over to the plain wall on the side. It was a wonderful tool that captured even older photographs in great detail. Newer ones were holographic and 3D and could be blown up to life-size, enabling users to digitally recreate the moments they'd captured on camera. It was like having them right there in their living room. The wonders of modern technology.

The images selected by Clark were from Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party in 2008. Chloe had archived all their photos and videos on a secured cloud, and there were an awful lot of them the kids hadn't seen. The difficulty in explaining why was a problem Lois and Clark had wrestled with for quite some time.

"Lara, come and have a look at this," Clark called out to her. She came into the living room, now curious as her flustered state disappeared. Lois joined them.

The image Clark had been looking at showed Jimmy standing slightly behind Chloe, his left hand affectionately around her waist. Chloe had placed her left hand on top of his, showing off the blue engagement ring he'd bought her. The happy couple were left of centre, and to the right were Lois and Clark. They were almost mirroring the pose of Chloe and Jimmy. In actual fact, Clark had had to put his arm out to stop Lois from tottering back into him and the ornate fountain behind him. In doing so, his arm had reached around her front. Lois' hand wasn't quite on top of his, but the expression on her face implied that she didn't particularly care that he was holding her. She'd plastered on the biggest grin she could muster, with slightly glazed eyes denoting her tipsiness. The drunken and inappropriate toast was still to come.

It was at this moment that the kitchen door swung open and a tall, gangly teenager strolled in carrying a large holdall. Jason Samuel Jonathan Kent, or Jase as he was known to all. Clark and Lois' son, 14 years old and a high school freshman, had just come home from football training. Unlike his father, he wasn't the quarterback for his school team, but a wide receiver. He didn't quite have the throwing arm or ability to dictate plays to be a true quarterback but he had filled in on occasion when the regular starting quarterback was unavailable. What set him apart on the field was his searing pace. He didn't possess powers of super-speed like his father but he had lightning quick reflexes, a sharp mind and an uncanny ability to make yardage into dangerous territory. Right now, he was swigging an energy drink while sweating, a little out of breath from his workout.

Just as Lara looked like a younger Lois, Jase looked almost exactly like Clark in his teenage years. He was nearly six feet tall and no doubt would continue to gain in height, quite slender in build, though again he would probably fill out as his body developed. Certainly he was taller than his mom and sister, who herself gave away a couple of inches to her mom. Jase had the chiselled cheekbones, charming Kent smile and dark unruly mop of a young Clark, but his eyes were the same as Lara's - hazel in most instances but given to revealing a tinge of blue in bright light.

The Kent children hadn't been born with nor developed any of Clark's abilities. They had normal human blood and the same blood type as Lois, and they were not immune to any of the frailties that may afflict humans from time to time. In terms of their physiology, the only aspect remotely similar to Clark's was an ability to heal faster than normal. As a kid, Jase had once fallen out of a tree and broken his leg. As immensely painful as it had been for him, and as uncomfortably itchy as he'd found his leg cast, he'd fully recovered in about half the time one would expect for kids who had suffered the same injury. For both kids, they'd only developed mild symptoms of the standard childhood diseases which again saw them recover in double-quick time. They remained totally unaffected by the presence of meteor rock.

While Lara and Jase looked like mini versions of their parents, it was noticeable that they had opposite personality traits. Lara was much like Clark in that she could be reserved and internalise her feelings. She was also the more conservative and thought things over much more before making decisions. Jase was by far the more headstrong and the more likely to take risks. He had the more outgoing personality and a take-charge attitude in most situations. Though he was quite mischievous, he was far from being a tearaway - indeed he was often very helpful and took part in voluntary activities regularly. As a 14 year old, he hadn't made up his mind as to what he wanted to be in the future but he thought it might involve sports or physical activity. His Grampa had told him many stories about his time in the army, and a career in the military was something Jase had given some thought to. He still had time on his side before he had to make that decision though.

Other than that, the two together bickered incessantly like siblings usually did. Lois and Clark would sometimes let it play out and allow the two of them to reach some sort of accord, as it reminded them of how they once were with each other. It was the same arguments over hogging the bathroom, hogging the TV remote, finishing the last of the cereal and that sort of thing. Jase had a tendency to call his sister Larry to wind her up, and she'd usually retort with put-downs like 'squirt' or 'kid' to denote his junior ranking in the family hierarchy.

Deep down though, there was no doubt that each would be there for the other when they needed it. Jase had threatened to kick the ass of some punk kid who'd dumped Lara and humiliated her in public. She had come home distraught and Jase had sensed that it wasn't the time to tease. She had opened up to him and Jase was irate that somebody could be so cruel like that to his sister. Lara had once verbally laid into a group of bullies who were picking on Jase, a kid about half their size and several years younger, simply for having the temerity to want to play hoops with his friends on the same basketball court. Jase was her baby brother and no way was anyone going to be allowed to get away with that.

Moving to the living room, Jase saw the image from the projector.

"Hey guys," he announced. "Is that you and mom? Wow, you look so young!"

"These were taken at your Aunt Chloe's engagement party," explained Lois.

Clark pinched his fingers over the image, blowing it up to life-size. "That's Jimmy," he pointed out.

Lara was surprised because something didn't quite add up. "Wait, Jimmy got married to Aunt Chloe? How come we never knew about it?"

Clark cleared up the confusion. "Actually, his name was Henry but he was known as Jimmy. He was Jimmy's older brother."

"What happened?"

"He died, Jase. They'd got married but for a number of reasons, it didn't work out and they got a divorce. It wasn't long after that that Jimmy was killed." Clark looked downbeat as he recalled the memory. That was one of the darkest periods of his life.

"Oh my god. I didn't know Jimmy had an older brother. They look so alike." To Lara, it was like looking at an identical twin.

Lois spoke. "You'd have liked him, Jase. He was a great photographer and a great role model for his brother. We all miss him."

Jase noted the sullenness in the room, and as was his way, he felt the need to inject a bit of levity into proceedings. Looking at his mom in the photo, he decided to point out what he was wondering. "Was mom drunk when that photo was taken?"

"Jase!" Lois scolded. She'd been embarrassed about her behaviour at the engagement party for months afterwards, going out of her way to ensure she didn't provide a repeat performance at the wedding. Her opinion about Jimmy's suitability for Chloe had changed over the interim period, and she couldn't have been happier for them both on their wedding day. Before things took a turn for the worse.

"I'm sorry mom, but it just looks like you were."

Jase turned to look at his dad, who hid a smirk and secretly nodded in affirmation. Jase grinned, mouthing back "Awesome!" which neither Lois nor Lara caught.

Lara was riveted by the photograph. The smiles on their faces clearly captured a more carefree period in their lives and even though Lara knew her parents hadn't got together at this point, they looked good together. And so _young_. She could see that her mom and her aunt Chloe had gone for similar outfits - her aunt's dress a lighter shade, as was her hair of course, adorned with little splashes of colour from the sequin detailing. She'd never seen her aunt with long hair but in this photo, it looked longer than ever. The two cousins had even chosen the same hairstyle for the occasion and really looked like sisters. Both were extremely pretty with their beaming smiles. Eyeing the photo more closely, Lara was struck by the lack of accessories her mom was wearing. It wasn't 'lack of' so much as 'none'. No earrings, no necklaces, no bracelets. No jewellery of any kind. Even her make-up was on the subtle side, allowing her mom's natural skin tone to shine through. It was now that the daughter understood her mother's point of view. Lois had still looked absolutely stunning.

"Mom," piped up Lara, still captivated by the photograph. "You really do look hot in that dress."

Clark and Lois smiled at each other.

"So there you go honey. When I say you remind me of your mom, I only ever mean it in a nice way. You look just as terrific tonight as your mom did on that night."

The doorbell rang, signifying the arrival of Lara's date, Bobby. Lois moved towards the door, stopping to give Lara some last words before she headed out.

"Honey, I want you to have a really great time, but don't feel pressured into doing anything you don't feel ready for, OK?"

Lara turned bright red. "Mom!"

"I mean it Lara. If you have any doubts, turn away."

With that, Lois gave Lara a light hug so as not to smudge her make-up or crease her dress. Lois then opened the door to Bobby, who was standing on the porch in a well-fitted tux complete with black bow tie. He'd got his hair cut, set into a neat side parting. He was a very handsome young man, and extremely polite too. He was holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"Hey Mrs Kent, Mr Kent. Is Lara ready?"

"Bobby, hey. Well now, don't you look handsome tonight," said Lois. Bobby had always had a slight crush on Lara's mom which was understandable given how he had the hots for Lara, who looked so alike. He felt a little heat flash in his cheeks at the compliment.

Lara stepped into view from behind her dad, causing Bobby to stare, agog. Lara beamed that her appearance met with Bobby's approval.

"W-wow!" was about all Bobby could utter. He always thought he was going out with the hottest girl in school, but now everybody would know it. He'd become a bundle of nerves right now. "Th-these are for you Lara. Y-you look terrific!"

"Thanks Bobby. They're beautiful," replied Lara as she took the flowers. Lois was on hand to take the flowers from Lara, ready to place them in a vase.

"Lara?" Clark called out just as the pair were about to leave. His daughter turned around. "I hope you kids have fun. And I promise you, you're gonna knock 'em dead."

She returned to give her dad a hug, before Bobby offered his arm for her to link with. They left the house as her parents watched on. Their little girl was growing up fast. Their happy-sad moment was broken by little brother, who felt the need to bid them goodnight in his own inimitable way.

"See ya, Larry. Bobby, my commiserations man!"

"Jase? Shower. Now!" ordered Lois, yanking Jase back inside by the arm, closing the door.

Clark watched Jase chuckle as he disappeared upstairs, while the limo pulled away from the house and out towards the main road. His attention now fell on the stairs.

Over the years, the girl standing on those steps had managed to in turn baffle, surprise, mesmerise, captivate and bless him, and then fill his heart with love. Because of that, the girl on the stairs would always provide a moment for him to remember, and she would always be special to him.

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
